Time Will Tell
by starlite-decay
Summary: Lex Luthor has created yet another diabolical device. It seems that Batman is going to be stuck with the Flash for quite a while... eventual BatFlash. DCAU, Ongoing.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Hey-o. I haven't written a fanfic for... 7 years now? I don't even want to talk about my stories from before, haha. Anyway, I was struck with the urge to write a JLU fic. I just couldn't help myself.

I don't have a beta reader, so feel free to point out any mistakes I make. :]

_This will be a BatFlash eventually_, so turn away now if you aren't interested in the pairing.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own DC. Although, if I ever become a mega-billionaire, I just might. ;)

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><p><p>

**Chapter 1**

It was the single brightest thing in the entire universe. Like a billion stars, it shone with a fury unrivaled by anything existence had to offer. If one were to look at it for even a moment, the poor soul would surely go blind the very instant. Perhaps it was from another dimension or from a time before the cosmos even existed. Whatever the origin, it was too much for one man to comprehend. In an effort to shield his eyes, the red-clad hero held his arm over his face and squinted.

"Jeez, Luthor. I'm super flattered, but you didn't need to wax your head before the fight! A simple tie would have been fine!"

A growl emanated from the shining bald man and he fired a shot at the hero in question. The Flash lived up to his title as he dodged the harm in an instant.

"Ha! You missed me, Sunshine!" he stuck out his tongue.

"Shut it, you buffoon!" Luthor took another shot, which the Flash easily avoided, as a gruff voice came from his right.

"This isn't the time for jokes, Flash. You could easily make a fatal mistake." Batman swung at one of Luthor's hired thugs and didn't miss. The bulky goon coughed hard as the wind was knocked out of his stomach. The Flash winced at the sight. He would not EVER want to get hit by the Dark Knight. He was actually pretty sure that he'd rather take a wallop from Superman himself.

"Aw, Bats, I can't help it that I'm a natural comedian!" with a steady grin, he began running circles around Luthor until a whirlwind had launched the older man straight into the sky. After skidding to a stop, the Flash held out his arms, ready to catch Luthor as he fell. "I really, really hope he doesn't get dizzy and barf down on me. This one time, I sent Mirror Master up, like, a hundred feet and then, it was just awful, I look up and-"

"Flash." Batman just had to stop him. The two goons Luthor had hired were tied to a lamp post, ready to be taken into custody.

"Yeah?" The Flash blinked.

"You do realize he hasn't come back down." Batman spoke calmly.

"Whu-" He looked up, then dropped his arms in befuddlement. He saw nothing but a beautiful blue sky. "...Where did he go?"

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><p><p>

"What do you mean he _just vanished?_" A stern voice echoed down the halls of the Watchtower.

"Yeah, Supes. It was crazy. He went up," The Flash made a grand gesture with his arms, "but he didn't come back down."

"God, who knows where he could be?" His knuckles were white from clenching his fists too hard. Wonder Woman gave a concerned look over to Shayera, who took a step forward and put her hand on Superman's shoulder.

"Hey. It's gonna be okay. You know how he is. I'm sure he would have gotten away from the situation somehow." Superman shrugged her hand off.

"I should have been there. He wouldn't be out on the loose, doing who knows what." His voice was grating and harsh. The Flash couldn't help but lower his head. He knew Superman had put faith in him to protect Metropolis while he was away on natural disaster relief. "I'd better go back to Earth to be nearby just in case." With a cold air, he left the room, headed towads the hangar bay.

"Wally, don't feel bad. It wasn't your fault." Shayera had bent over to meet his eyes. "Batman was there too, so it's not like you were fighting him alone."

"Yes, you both did the best you could do in the situation." Wonder Woman smiled.

"But I didn't do the best I could do." his voice was lowered. "Bats is right. I can't joke around all the time. People are counting on me. I can't let them down." Shayera and Diana could only exchange worried glances as Wally turned and shuffled out of the room in a pace that would have felt awfully slow even to a normal person.

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><p><p>

The doors to the monitor room opened with a gust of air, creating a sound that reminded Wally of _Star Trek_. As he shuffled in, he finally allowed his eyes to look at a spot other than the ground. The room was dead quiet save for the clacking of fingers against keys. He knew Batman would be here. He always typed up a incident report immediately after a mission. As he shuffled towards the dark figure, the typing came to a stop. "Can I help you?" his voice sounded irked.

"Oh, uh, hey Bats." Wally couldn't help but fall into his usual goofiness. A grin had already appeared on his face. "How'd you know it was me?" He leaned forward in a curious manner.

"I didn't. Your footstep pattern was different than usual." He had continued typing and didn't bother to turn around.

"Oh." He glanced around the room, looking at the different displays. Nothing intense seemed to be happening on Earth. There were a few small incidents occurring, but they already had men on the job. In a sense, it was a rare moment for the planet. Almost too rare.

"Did you want something?" Wally broke from his thoughts as Batman spoke. He felt awkward that he was aware of his presence, but didn't really acknowledge him by turning around.

"Yeah, I was wondering if you had found any leads on where Luthor went?" He fiddled his thumbs innocently. "'Cause I was thinkin' we could go finish the job, you know?" Batman stopped typing again and actually swiveled the chair around. It caused Wally to jump a bit.

"You don't think Superman would rather handle it from here?" He leaned to the left, as if he were trying to get more comfortable. Wally crossed his arms over his chest indignantly.

"Yeah, maybe, but he shouldn't have to! I don't want him cleaning up my messes." He shifted his gaze elsewhere, in a moment of obvious guilt. Batman considered him.

"He has a head like a rock. I doubt you could get through that stubborn head of his." Wally looked at Batman, surprised. Was that a joke? He had only ever heard him be humorous a few times and for some reason it really made Wally smile. "But, if you really want to attempt it..." Batman nodded towards a monitor that had just started blinking. There was some sort of commotion going on in Metropolis. It was Luthor. Wally couldn't believe that he was already causing havoc when they had just fought a few hours ago. Nevertheless, he grinned.

"Meet you in the Javelin, Bats!" He was gone before Batman could even reply.

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><p><p>

Superman was already on the scene. There was a giant trench leading to a grounded Bizarro, who had obviously taken quite a hit from the Blue Boy Scout. Apparently Luthor had brought in some bigger guns this time. The Flash appeared underneath Superman, who was floating in midair, looking around for Luthor. He put his hands around his mouth as a makeshift megaphone. "Hey, Supes! What's the story?"

"I'm not sure yet. All I know is that Luthor is behind all of this." he spoke through his teeth. Bizarro had recovered and was already flying haphazardly towards Superman. "Try to find him while I hold the rest off!"

"Gotcha!" The Flash gave a mock salute upwards before zipping off. He ducked into the broken window of a barber shop, "Nope," then sped across the street to a toy store. "Nuh-uh." After checking all of the shops and buildings, he came back to where he had left Superman. He could see two figures in the sky battling it out.

"I think I know where he's hiding." A deep voice came from behind the Flash, causing him to jump. Wally spun around to see Batman holding some kind of electronic device. "I'm getting a strange radiation reading from the subway." He had already started running towards the underground entrance, although the Flash easily passed him by. He screeched to a halt once he reached the bottom of the stairs. It was dark. Only a few lights seemed to be working. It was probably due to all the damage Bizarro and Superman were creating above them. Wally cautiously walked forward, scanning the area for any movement. Batman had caught up to him and had pulled out a flashlight. He shone the beam towards the right side first, then gradually moved it along until it came to a dead spot on Lex Luthor. He was sitting behind a giant gun. It would have taken all his strength to hold it up. At the moment, it was level on some sort of tripod. Luthor looked crazed.

"Idiots!" Was all he said as he fired. At this point, Batman had screamed Flash's name, and only the Flash himself could comprehend what had occurred in the last few moments. He had run towards Luthor as it fired. He realized it was too late to actually stop the shot. He threw his entire body into the giant barrel of the gun, causing it to jolt upwards. The bright green beam that had shot out of it, hit the ceiling, but didn't break through. Instead, it ricocheted off in all directions. He heard Luthor cursing as the room was filled with light. Wally thought it was beautiful. Suddenly, he was hit with an intense wave of nausea as the world spun so fast, even he couldn't keep up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"More wine, please," demanded King Wallace the Third. A busty servant woman padded over to the gold covered king and proceeded to fill his goblet with crimson liquid. He thanked her and drank it all in one mighty gulp. The air was thick and humid this day, so the king clapped his hands twice. Two bulky men in loin clothes immediately appeared at either side of him and began to cool him off with the waving of giant palm leaves. This was the life. He didn't have a care in the world and felt completely relaxed. So relaxed, that his very thoughts were blurred. Surely it was the haze of ecstasy.

"Wally." The busty woman had returned. She was leaning over, hands on her knees, as if to exemplify the gorgeous view between her arms. "Wally."

"That's _King_ Wally, babe." His grin widened as he leaned towards her.

"Wally." his name came once again from her plump, parted lips. The King couldn't help but forgive her foolish nature. His face was only a few inches from hers. Everything about her was so enticing. The way she said his name. The smoothness of her skin. The five-o'clock shadow... Wait. Five-o'clock shadow? "WALLY." The deep voice made his eyes widen far bigger than he though possible as he let out a scream. The woman had morphed. She still had the curvy, voluptuous body, same as before, except that now her head was replaced with Batman's. Wally shut his eyes tightly, the image scarring his mind.

"GYAHHHH!"

"WALLY! Snap out of it!" After what seemed like minutes of writhing, Wally finally regained the courage to open his eyes again. Blurred colors came into focus. Batman was crouched over him with his hands on Wally's arms, as if to hold him down. It took a few moments to regulate his heartbeat in order to breathe properly. Once he seemed to be calm enough, Batman spoke again. "You were having a nightmare. It took me nearly five minutes to wake you up." His grip on Wally loosened and he stood up. Wally didn't want to move just yet. The image before him was certainly picturesque. A tall, vandalized building stood behind Batman as his tattered cape tossed in the wind. He half expected lightning to strike behind him, just for effect.

With a grunt, Wally pushed himself up into a sitting position and looked around. It looked like they were in Gotham City. At least, he was pretty sure it was Gotham. The main difference was that it looked far worse. There was trash literally everywhere. Obscene graffiti painted all the buildings as far as he could see. Dozens of homeless men and women littered the streets. All the storefronts had thick black bars protecting the windows. "I must still be dreaming... This is the _last_ time I eat fifty-five taquitos before hitting the hay."

"It's no dream." The darker one said, as he surveyed the area.

"What happened here then?" Wally had stood and was rubbing a spot on his back that was sore from laying on a crumpled soda can.

"I'm not sure. But it looks like we've already got trouble." He gestured to a woman that was fighting to get her purse back from a masked mugger. The Flash didn't need to be told twice. Before the criminal could even blink, the red hero was standing right next to him, holding the purse in one hand while the other was put around the man's shoulders.

"Hey buddy. I don't think this is really your color." The Flash tilted his head with a smirk. The mugger was staring at him slack-jawed, as if he had just seen a religious icon's face winking in his alphabet soup. The man gritted his teeth and put a gun into Wally's side, as if warning him to back off. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. 'Cause then you'll have to answer to him, and I think that's a worse fate than any prison could offer." The mugger turned his head to see who the Flash had been referring to and let out a scared yelp when he saw a giant bat standing next to him. The man didn't get very far when he tried to run. With a crash, he fell, his legs tied together. He started screaming for help. Batman loomed over him for a moment, as if to scare him a bit more, before handcuffing him and leaving him tied to a tree for the authorities to handle. "Here you are, ma'am." The Flash held out the purse to the woman they had rescued. She shakily reached out and took it.

"Th-thank you..." She looked incredibly frightened.

"You don't have to be scared," the Flash put his hands on his hips, his smile never faltering. "With me and Bats here, you got nothin' to worry about!" The woman's gaze switched from the Flash to Batman before she turned and ran down the street. "Huh. She must be new here." He looked over his shoulder at his partner. "Now what?" Batman put a finger up to his ear.

"The communication with the Watch Tower is gone. I'm not even sure how we got here in the first place..." He took another look around. The Flash saw something wavering on Batman's expression. Almost like... this was a new city to him or something. "Let's get to the cave. We have a better chance of figuring things out there." Wally nodded in response and followed Batman's lead.

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><p>When they had reached the cave, it was exactly that: a cave. Nothing more, nothing less. It was just after sunset and it was impossible to see in the cavern past a few steps. Batman had turned on a flashlight and shone it inwards, causing a family of bats to screech and fly out overhead. Wally tried to hide how much it freaked him out, but he couldn't help but bend down a bit to further himself from the creatures. He hesitantly followed Batman in, only to stop short once he realized this probably wasn't the right place. The walls were damp and smelled strange. Batman circled the first few feet of the cave before heading back out into the night air. "It's not here." He said as he emerged.<p>

"What do you mean, Bats?" Wally asked, even though he could clearly see it was true.

"We should check the manor. There could be some sort of clue." He had already started heading up the winding hill that lead to home.

When they reached the gate, Batman reached out to touch the rust that had overtaken it long ago. It easily swung open with a great groan. Wally had begun to feel uneasy. He didn't like the looks of this. He kept quiet, though, because he was sure that Bruce was far more bothered and just didn't want to show it. Dried weeds crunched under their boots as they walked, threatening to trip anyone who wasn't careful.

The manor was old. The paint was cracked and peeled and the wood looked rotted. Half of the windows were broken, from looters no doubt. Wally frowned. The house reminded him of a haunted mansion that would be in some horror movie, like that Vincent Price movie House on Haunted Hill. Nothing here was making any sense to him, but he had certainly been in stranger situations. Batman grabbed the door handle, but the door wouldn't budge. He silently walked over to the nearest window and jumped in. The Flash followed suit, careful not to get sliced by the jagged glass.

There was dust everywhere and the furniture and decorations were in shambles. A few things were in pieces on the floor, while other items had seemed to have been tossed aside. Batman turned to the Flash. "Wait here. I'm going to go look around." Wally gave him a thumbs up.

"Sure thing, Bats. I'll be right here." With that, he plopped on the couch that had been untouched, sending a large cloud of dust into the air. Batman walked out of the room, the sound of Wally's sneezes echoing through the empty house.

Wally leaned back after the sneezing fit was done. He surveyed the room, thinking. With a huff, he shuffled in his seat, uncomfortable about the entire situation. The sound of glass crunching under his boot made him look down at the object he hadn't noticed before. It was a brown photo frame, face down. Wally reached down to examine it. The glass in the frame was horribly cracked, so he pulled the actual photo out from the back. It was a picture of an eight year old Bruce Wayne, smiling with his parents at a carnival. He stared at the picture for what felt like a very long time. The look on Bruce's face was so beautiful and innocent. Wally felt his eyes water a bit. "You've been alone a long time, huh, Bats?"

By the time Batman had returned, Wally was completely passed out on the couch. The room was also much tidier. It seemed that the younger hero had picked up everything and dusted before falling asleep. He wondered if Wally had some form of obsessive compulsive disorder or if something had just stirred him to clean out of nowhere. Whatever the case, he didn't want to wake him up, considering that he was probably exhausted from not getting his usual caloric intake for the day. He pulled a pen from his utility belt, but realized he had no paper to write the note on and began searching for something that would suffice. On the mantle of the fireplace, he found the picture of him and his parents. He stared at it for a moment, before turning it over and scribbling. He left it on the cracked coffee table that was near Wally's sleeping form and headed out.

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><p>Being on the dark streets of Gotham alone was something Batman reveled in. It had always felt right to him, probably in the same way someone feels about walking through a familiar street in their hometown. Even though the city was different, he could still navigate with ease. It didn't take him long to find a phone book, considering the amount of trash that was all over the city. He flipped to the P section and began thumbing through the pages until he found the name he was looking for.<p>

It took him hours to find the right place. It was a small apartment complex near a convenience store that was constantly being robbed. After scaling the wall, he entered the window silently. The room was dark, save for the light that came in through the small window. Just as he had begun to snoop around, the light flashed on and a voice came from behind him. "Stop right there, you devil!" Batman turned around to face the man.

"Alfred?" Batman asked softly.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my house? And how do you know my name?" He was brandishing a baseball bat.

"Alfed, it's me." He slowly reached up and tugged the cowl off his face. "Bruce." Alfred turned a ghostly shade of white as he dropped the bat.

"Master Bruce? But... how?" He was shaking as he spoke. "You died when you were just a boy..."

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><p>The growling of Wally's stomach forced him out of his slumber. "Mnnf?" It took him a moment to gather his surroundings and remember everything that had happened. "Bats?" He sat up, looking around. His eyes stopped on the photograph.<p>

_I'll be back soon. Stay. Here._

_-B_

"Jeez, you don't have to tell me twice." Wally pouted as he put his head in his hands. He was awfully hungry, but was certain that there wasn't anything edible in the manor. He couldn't leave, because if Batman came back when he was gone, he'd get lecture, or a spanking, or whatever bats do when they're pissed. With a sigh, he stood and took another look around. The sight of Bruce's manor being so messed up made him depressed. He could only imagine that it made Bruce himself feel even worse. So he decided that until Bruce came back, he would busy himself by cleaning up the entire mansion so that maybe, just maybe, Bruce would feel less lonely and more like he was at home.

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><p>When Batman returned, he found Wally in the same place he left him. The main difference was that the entire house looked as clean as possible, considering that Wally couldn't fix the broken windows or give it a fresh coat of paint. The corner of his mouth tugged up a bit.<p>

"Is this your friend, sir?" Alfred questioned, when he saw Wally. Apparently Wally had only been resting because he jolted awake at the sound of his voice. He sat up and leaned in towards the older man, his eyes wide.

"Jeeves! You're okay!" Despite Wally giving him his best smile, Alfred's eye still twitched. Wally looked to Bruce. "Did you find out what's going on?"

"No. I'm trying to piece it together, though. I think we may be in another dimension or something similar." His gaze fell upon Alfred. "I found Alfred living in an apartment downtown. According to him... I was killed along with my parents." Wally's face fell.

"Bats..." His voice cracked. He couldn't imagine what Bruce was feeling. He was already an outcast in his own world, but to be a ghost in another?

"The reason that Gotham is in such a state is because in this world, there is no one to stop it from becoming so. There is no justice. There is no... Batman."

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

Yaaay. A longer chapter this time. Hopefully each chapter I write will be longer than the first. :]

Also, thanks to those who reviewed. It really makes me want to continue writing when I know that at least a few people are enjoying it. xD


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **

Sorry this chapter took a while to get out. I was in quite the drawing mood and drawings always come first to me. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. It really drives me to write. :)

**Warnings:**

Bruce/Wally slash. Don't like it, don't read it. :B

**Disclaimer:**

Don't own DC, but I sure love to put their characters in awkward situations! Ohohohoho.

**Chapter 3**

Wally sighed as he pushed the fourth shopping cart full of groceries up to the register. The chubby clerk behind the counter was staring at him, mouth agape. "Oh, uh," The redhead began, "I'm in charge of getting all the food for some charity event... party... thing..." He knew the excuse was a terrible one, but there were other things weighing down his mind. After Bruce had returned with Alfred, the butler had gone into the details of his life without the Waynes. According to the will, if anything were to happen to Thomas and Martha, all the fortune would go to Bruce. In turn, if anything happened to Bruce, it was to be left to Alfred, their loyal servant. And so it was, after the events of that fateful night on the dark streets of Gotham. Alfred had lived a simple life, although it had been a lonely one. He had told no one of his gained fortune, instead saying that it had gone to some distant cousin of Bruce's in Metropolis. He left the manor and acquired an apartment and a job as a host at an upscale restaurant. Eventually, he was forgotten as the servant of the richest family in Gotham, which is exactly what he wanted. He hadn't imagined in a million years that he would ever see Bruce again.

Wally had decided that he should probably give Bruce and Alfred some time alone. He volunteered to run to the store to pick up groceries, but Bruce insisted he take Alfred's car as to not draw attention to himself. Although, Wally thought, he probably had forgotten how much the speedster needed to eat to sustain himself. He had bought everything he loved eating, which was probably the first time he had ever had enough money to do so. He also picked up tea and something called crumpets, only because it sounded British, for Alfred. When thinking about what Bruce liked, Wally wasn't sure. He didn't think he had ever seen him really eat. "Does he even need to eat?" he spoke aloud to himself. He pushed the thought of a zombie-Batman out of his mind as he paid the cashier and began to take the first of the shopping carts to the car.

It was a ridiculous sight when Wally pulled up to the manor. Alfred's little car was packed completely full, to the point where there was a stick of celery hanging out of the window. It only took a few minutes for him to unload everything into its proper place in the kitchen. Almost on cue, Alfred entered the kitchen, dressed in his old suit. "Thank you Master Wallace, I will begin cooking dinner now. Please make yourself at home."

"No prob, Jeeves!" Wally put his hands behind his head and walked out grinning. A soft 'Oh Heavens!' came from the kitchen after he left, no doubt from Alfred discovering how much food the young man had actually purchased.

Wally made his way up the staircase after he couldn't find Bruce anywhere on the lower level. Was he sleeping? He couldn't help but snicker as he imagined Batman hanging upside down in a cave. He opened the door to the first room he passed by. He knew it was the master bedroom, as he had cleaned the entire mansion before. The room was empty. He continued to check the rooms until he got to the one that had belonged to Bruce as a child. Bruce was there, sitting at the edge of the bed. Wally paused at the door frame to take in the sight. By Wally's standards, the room was four times bigger than any room he had ever lived in, but smaller than the other rooms in the manor. There was a poster on the wall above the bed's headboard of the old Zorro TV series. Zorro was in the center of it, smirking confidently with his partner Bernardo at his side. Bruce finally looked up from the spot on the floor he had nearly stared a hole into. Wally flushed at the sudden eye contact, and blurted out, "Some nice stuff you got here." He felt like an idiot.

"It's not mine." Bruce stated simply, leaning back onto his hands.

"...Well it kinda is, I mean-" Wally's sentence was cut off by Bruce's eyebrows knitting together in agitation.

"It's not mine. None of it is." His eyes scanned the room. "This isn't my life. We're here by mistake." There was something in his voice that made Wally's chest tighten.

"Hey, quiet down. You don't want Alfred to hear you say that, right?" Wally gestured back at the door he had just quietly closed. He walked forward and took a seat next to Bruce, who only averted his gaze away from the younger man.

"I shouldn't have sought him out. This must be a nightmare for him." There was a slight hitch in his voice. Something that would have been completely undetectable to someone who didn't hear him talk on a regular basis.

"Are you kiddin' me?" He slung his arm around Bruce and squeezed. Bruce grimaced in response. "Old Alfie got the only piece of his family back. How could that be anything but a dream come true?"

"Because. He had years to heal from the loss. He'll have to start all over again once we leave." Wally titled his head a bit.

"...how do you know we're even gonna get back, Bruce? I mean... I don't even really know how we got here. Plus..." he lowered his gaze to the spot Bruce had coveted earlier. "...it never fully heals, right?" Bruce was silent for what seemed like forever to Wally. When Bruce finally spoke, his voice was strained.

"Everyone back home. They need us." Wally felt as though Bruce was grasping at anything for an excuse. He wondered how scared he really was.

"Yeah, it seems like they do," Wally lifted his gaze with a smile. "But think about it. We're stuck here for who knows how long. Even though our friends need us, think about the people here. They _are_ people after all. It doesn't matter what dimension or planet or city they're in. The place where we came from... there are so many of our friends protecting it. Even without us, they'd still fight on. But here... it seems as though they have no one. I haven't seen the rest of the world, but just seeing this place makes me want to help these people. What else do we fight for?" Bruce couldn't hide the smile that tugged on the corners of his mouth. He put his hand on Wally's knee, in a grateful gesture, before standing. Wally felt as though he had just stuck a fork in an outlet.

"Thanks." He had already begun to leave the room.

"Hey, uh, Bruce..." Wally still found it strange to call him by his real name. "You should smile more often, you know? It's... nice." The dark-haired man looked back at him over his shoulder with a smirk before exiting. Wally smiled, before falling back onto the bed that was much larger than the one he had back home. This 'other dimension' didn't seem so bad after all.

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><p><p>

It had only taken a week before the manor was almost completely fixed up. Wally was amazed at how fast people came to do a job when they were getting paid a ridiculous amount of money for it. The windows had all been replaced and the air lingered with the smell of fresh paint. All the appliances were now up to date as well as the furniture. Alfred had the honor of choosing the decor, which Wally assumed he had always done, as the manor looked very similar to the one from his home world. Bruce had been out for days, making public appearances as the news spread that the prince of Gotham had 'been in hiding' for years. The police had forced him to submit a DNA sample to prove that he was indeed Bruce Wayne in order to change his status from deceased.

It was around 10 PM that Wally was sitting in the dark of the living room before the television. The news was recapping events of the day and there were long segments on Bruce. Wally found it interesting to watch the interviews that played. Bruce's public persona was so different from the one he talked to. He seemed much more cheerful and happy on TV, but also more... well, he could never think of Bruce as _stupid_, quite the contrary actually, but he certainly acted like he was in public. Wally supposed it was because he wanted there to be absolutely no obvious connection between the rich, goofy playboy and the dark, quick-witted bat. He shoved a handful of popcorn into his mouth as he continued to watch. Bruce was telling the interviewer a made up story about how he had been kidnapped by drug smugglers and held for ransom. And when they learned of his parent's death, they had let him go in Nicaragua or something, just in the middle of nowhere. He had been taken in by a kind family, but it took him years to find an American that would help him get back home. Wally laughed as Bruce knocked a glass of water of the table, and began to apologize. Bruce was pretty adorable when he acted all befuddled. _Too bad I'll never see him that way for real... _he thought as he leaned against a throw pillow with his eyes closed. The flickering light of the television felt calming to him as he let the world drift away.

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When Bruce arrived home, it was nearly two in the morning. He had been surveying the area, trying to get a handle on how the crime flowed here. He was strongly reminded of his first years as Batman. There was so much to get done, so much data to learn. The cave below the manor still needed to be harnessed into his lair. He pulled the cowl off and ran a hand through his sweat-slicked hair. Bruce knew he should get some sleep, especially considering how exhausted he felt, but his duty always came before himself. As he walked upstairs, he went into the master bedroom (which was now suited to be his) and stripped down for a shower. His favorite thing about the room was that there was a personal bathroom connected to it. It was a nice bit of privacy when he really needed it. The bathroom itself was large, much more than what one person needed, but he liked it. He stepped into the shower and turned the water on to a scathing hot. It felt amazing against his sore muscles. Bruce stood there for at least forty minutes, just letting the water massage him, before soaping up.

When he was done, he slipped on a pair of silk pajama pants and padded quietly downstairs to get some of the leftovers that were in the fridge. Alfred's cooking was amazing, no matter what dimension. The plate was already made for him in the fridge. All he had to do was pop it in the microwave. The portions were more generous that he was used to, but since Wally was there, Alfred had taken to making meals that were suited for a large family. Once the food was gone, he placed the soiled plate in the sink and began to shuffle back towards the stairs. Before he reached them, however, he noticed a flickering coming from the sitting room. Upon investigating, he found Wally passed out, covered in popcorn. "Wally." Bruce touched his shoulder. Wally replied with a loud snoring sound. The older man gave a small smile, before turning the television off. It reminded him of when Dick was just a boy. He would always pass out on the couch, leaving a mess for Alfred in the morning. The more he thought about it, the more the knot in his chest tightened. He bent down and scooped up Wally to take him upstairs. Bruce couldn't help but think about how Wally and Dick were almost the same age. As he looked down at the speedster in his arms, he looked innocent, almost child-like. But he knew that he was indeed a man now and could handle most of the toughest of criminals by himself. This loosened the knot.

Bruce gently pushed the door of his old room open with his foot. It had been converted to Wally's liking, which included a small mini-fridge for those middle-of-the-night hunger attacks. The redhead hadn't asked for much, although he did request a down comforter. He had told Alfred embarrassedly that it wasn't because he got cold easily, but because he needed to have something to cuddle in order to get a real good night's sleep. Alfred had to order it out of a Swedish catalog because no stores in Gotham carried brightly colored ones, and even then he couldn't find one that was completely red, so Wally had received one that was black on one side and red on the other. Bruce pulled the comforter back and bent down to place Wally on the sheets. When he went to pull away, Wally made a disgruntled face and wrapped his arms around Bruce's neck. The older man sighed and tried to duck down under the grip, but the hold only tightened, pulling Bruce's face down onto Wally's chest. Bruce made a choking sound as he pushed up in an attempt to breathe properly. "chk-Wally-" he coughed and reached up to pry at the speedster's arms. Wally's arms loosened in response as he made a small sound and rolled away, only to start softly snoring.

Bruce sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his neck. He didn't think the redhead had such a grip. Did Wally even realize how much strength he had? Bruce recalled the time he had single-handedly beaten the fusion of Luthor and Brainiac. Perhaps he was always holding back, out of fear he'd hurt someone? The man looked up at the same window he used to stare through as a child. He knew the feeling. There was always a chance of hurting someone. When was the last time he had even taken that chance? His thoughts traveled to all the people he knew and how he might not ever see them again. His chest felt as though it were on fire. It was an incredibly familiar feeling, especially feeling it in the room he had come home to _that_ night... Bruce looked over at Wally's sleeping form. If he hadn't been with him at the time, Luthor would have sent him here without anyone. He would have been utterly alone. Would his choices have been different? Bruce knew the answers to his questions, but he also knew he didn't _want_ to know them. He knew that being an island was only worth so much. The sight of Wally made him smile once more. Bruce hadn't smiled this many times so close together in ages. On the flight of his thoughts, he laid down next to the other man and let his eyes shut. The sound of the speedster's even breathing was soothing. Just this once, he decided, he'd let himself have something nice. Even though he'd be gone before Wally even knew he was there.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Wally rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet as he waited in line at the unemployment office of Gotham. It had been nearly a month since he and Bruce had arrived in this other world and it was only a few days ago that Wally had decided to begin actively searching for a job. Not only would it keep him busy during the day (although, admittedly, it was in his nature to rather be playing video games) but it would also let him get to know the people of the city he was going to be protecting. He had wanted to zip to Central City to see what condition it was in, but Alfred had advised him against it, saying that it would only cause him emotional harm and that if he really wanted to make a difference in this world, he would have to start one city at a time. This made Wally incredibly nervous that his town was just as bad as Gotham was.

The line moved forward a few inches. Wally tapped his foot impatiently. He knew he was being rude, but the line was just _so_ long and he was used to moving so quickly through life, although the situation at hand _had_ forced him to slow down and come to terms with many things. Bruce himself, was laying low as Batman. He hadn't made a real public appearance, as to not give any suspicion that the return of Bruce Wayne was too coincidental to the sudden existence of a giant crime-fighting bat. But in order to keep up with his public persona, he had to be out all day as Bruce even though he was surveying the town all night to gather data on the crime rates in different areas of the city. Wally had begun to really miss his stoic friend. Usually whenever the redhead worried about something, he wasn't able to get much sleep. But it must have been the luxury of the expensive bed in the manor (or perhaps the detergent Alfred was using on his comforter- it was such a relaxing scent to wake up to) that allowed him to feel very rested in the morning.

A nasally voice disrupted his reverie. "West. Wally West." He looked up to see a plump woman with purple glasses giving him a very impatient look. He must have been out of it for quite a while to be at the front of the line already. Wally cheerfully walked up to Window 3.

"Wally West, at your service!" His grin was wide with enthusiasm. The woman's only response was to begin shuffling through his paperwork.

"...It says here you've graduated from Gotham High School... as president of the Food Club..?" She shot him a skeptical look over the rim of her glasses. Wally had to really try to keep his composure and not fall on the floor in hysterics. Of course he had no _real_ public records here, so Alfred had them all forged. Wally hadn't bothered to look at the details before handing them in.

"Uh, heck yeah I was!" He gave the best "proud" face he could muster. The woman only sneered at him before returning to the paperwork. Wally felt nervous. He definitely should have read the documents beforehand.

"I see you have a degree in forensics from Gotham University... where you are captain of the 'Science Fiction Babes' Club." She snorted, then began typing data into her computer. Wally was horrified. Apparently Jeeves had quite the sense of humor...

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"This must be the place..." Wally squinted up at the sign of the towering building before him. He had been hoping to get assigned to the Gotham Police Department as a forensic investigator, as he was in Central City before, but instead was assigned as a private forensic scientist to a seemingly giant corporation. He hadn't complained though, because a job was a job and he wanted to do as much good as possible for both the citizens and his friend. As Wally entered the XelTech building, he gave the friendliest air possible. The woman at the counter, a thin red-headed woman with coke-bottle glasses, was answering what looked like 6 different phones that were ringing off the hook. After putting all the lines on hold, she looked up at Wally and said, "Yes?"

"Hello, ma'am. I'm here for an appointment with the hiring manager for the open position-"

"Floor 5, Room 2." She spoke quickly, while hurriedly typing data into a computer in front of her.

"Oh...kay. Thanks." Wally smiled warmly at her, before walking towards the elevator. After pressing the service button, he looked back over his shoulder to see she had already answered another line. He hated seeing people so stressed out... he thought about the dark circles that often adorned Bruce's eyes... those times where he just wanted to reach out to- _**DING.**_ The elevator's arrival had caused Wally to jump in surprise. He looked around, embarrassed, to see if anyone saw and was glad that no one did.

The elevator's music was strangely soothing, he found. Wally felt himself lean back against a wall, feeling utterly relaxed. His eyelids fluttered, as he longed for a nap. Man, if only that lady at the counter could just stay in here for an hour or so... _**DING.**_ He had jumped in surprise again. Red stained his cheeks as he stepped out, and wondered if he was getting sick. Once the elevator doors closed, he started feeling better.

"Ugh, that was super weird..." Wally rubbed his head a bit and looked around. "...Now what room was it again? Room 5? At least I think she said 5..."

Upon finding room 5, he knocked and waited. No one answered, so he tried knocking again. "Hello? Is anyone home? I'm here for the interview..." Still no answer. He checked the door handle, and it was unlocked, so he pushed the door open and stepped inside. Ahead of him, he saw someone sitting in a very large swivel chair that probably cost more than his entire month's food budget. He walked forward shyly, hoping the person would notice him soon. The figure was bent over, busily, as though he was writing something important or maybe even sending text messages on his phone. When Wally reached the table, the man finally looked up, but it wasn't what the redhead had expected. There was a large syringe sticking out of the man's right arm. When their eyes locked, he felt a sense of fear well within him. His eyes were cold and harrowed, filled with rage at the interruption. The man's upper lip was twitching, as though he were a rabid dog.

"W-woah, man. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-" Wally's apology was cut short as the other man stood up. He slammed his left hand on the desktop and reached over to grab Wally by the throat, pulling their faces inches apart.

"Who the fuck sent you, you little shit?" The man's voice was a deep growl, almost familiar.

"KCHT-" Wally had one eye squeezed shut in pain, as he grasped at the man's trunk-like arm. He was sure he could get himself out of this, but that would reveal his secret. It was beginning to seem worth it as his lungs burned for air. Just as he was about to give in, the larger man let go and Wally fell to the floor. He sputtered and coughed for air, while reaching up to delicately touch his neck.

Before he could even regain his breath, the other man was towering over him. "I'll give you 5 seconds to answer me, before I assume the worst and end this pathetic game."

"...I wasn't... by anyone... here for an interview... got lost." Wally struggled out, his voice hoarse. The man crouched down to stare Wally in the eyes. Wally attempted to keep his composure and just stared back, his breathing still labored.

"Hmm... your eyes don't seem like the lying type. I believe you." He reached out to gently drag his fingers along the forming bruises on Wally's neck. His hand then traveled to grip Wally's jaw and tilted his head in an examining manner. "Hmm... you did see me taking my... medicine. That is a very big problem, Red." The man leaned in close as he had before, their noses almost touching. The man's face... his jawline and nose, even his hairstyle reminded him so much of Bruce. Wally felt his face flush. The man's scowl slowly became a grin. "An interview, hmm? For what? Oh well, I suppose it doesn't matter anymore. This will be your interview now. Since you saw me, but I believe you when you say it was accidental, I don't want to punish you. However, I _do_ want to keep my eye on you. I'm in need of a new assistant since my last one was... _relieved of duty_. You can start tomorrow. Be here at 9 am sharp." The man stood up and walked back to his chair. "And I don't like to be kept waiting, Mr..."

Wally stood up, shakily. This guy was clearly insane. But he did need a job, and maybe he could do some sleuthing while being here, since the place seemed pretty suspicious. "West. Wally West..." His voice still sounded shot, but he managed to force a smile.

"Ah, yes. _Wally_." The man watched him from under half-lidded eyes with a smirk tugging the corners of his mouth. "And I'm the president of XelTech. Brent Xel." Wally just nodded, the pain in his neck still strong. "See you tomorrow, Red."

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When Wally returned to the manor, he immediately went to the kitchen for some food. Alfred was already there, cooking dinner. Wally inhaled deeply, a smile on his face. "Mm, smells delish, Jeeves!"

"Ah, good evening Master Wallace. How was the job hunting?" Alfred turned to face him and gasped. "Oh good heavens, what happened?" The butler had already ran over to examine Wally's neck. "It looks as though you were strangled!" Wally laughed a bit.

"Yeah... it was kind of a crazy day. I think I may have been hired by a super villain. Or maybe he was just nuts in general." Alfred had already started applying a pain-relieving cream and bandages.

"We should take an x-ray to make sure it's nothing serious, sir." He had finished wrapping Wally's neck and proceeded to push him towards the clock entrance of the Bat Cave. Wally protested.

"No, Jeeves, really, I'm fine! I think I'm just going to go get some rest, you know. Sleep it off. I've been through way worse, trust me." Alfred put his hands on his hips and Wally knew he was about to go into lecture mode. He zipped up the stairs in an instant. "I'll be fiiiineeeeee!" Wally closed the door to his room and gave a great sigh. After kicking off his shoes and stripping down to his Fozzie Bear boxers, he plopped into bed, feeling exhausted. He wondered when he would see Bruce. He wanted to talk to him about what his plans were and ask him tips on infiltrating the enemy. Cool spy stuff like that. He _was _the master detective after all.

As he drifted to sleep, his mind recalled when he and Dick were just kids. It took Dick so much pleading to allow Wally to stay over. At the time, he though Bats was just paranoid, but now that he thought about it, it was to protect himself and his family from anyone that could possibly pose a security threat. Now he was allowed to stay here by himself if no one else was home.

He wondered if it was because Bruce trusted him, or because he felt obligated to due to the situation. Whatever it was, it made him feel light and happy. Just like when he and Dick had fallen asleep watching a Power Rangers marathon. Bats had come home, exhausted from a night of fighting crime, yet he still carried both boys upstairs to their beds. Wally had awoken during it, but kept completely quiet. After he had tucked them both in, he bent down to kiss Dick on the forehead, before leaving the room. Wally knew then that all the rumors he had heard from the other adults about Bats just adopting Dick because he needed a successor were wrong. He really cared about him, like a son. His last thought was that he hoped one day he'd feel that sense of warmth again, even if it were from afar.

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"Wally. Wally, wake up." Wally's eyebrows knit together in annoyance.

"Mrrrph."

"Wally..." He felt fingers gently brush his hair. With a groan, he forced his eyes open. It took a few seconds for them to adjust to the darkness of his room. Bruce was sitting at the edge of his bed, his arm on Wally's bicep. Wally closed his eyes again, smiling. Such a nice dream... "Wally. Wake up. I want to know what happened to you."

It took a few moments, but he finally registered that it indeed wasn't a dream, and shot up into a sitting position. The quick movement caused a severe pain in his neck and he reached up to rub it. "Ow... jeez, Bats. Do you do this to all your house guests?" His grin quickly faded as he saw the serious look on Bruce's face.

"What happened to you today? Did someone hurt you?" Wally blinked for a moment, before feeling guilty about worrying him.

"Oh, uh. It's no big deal. I went out for a job interview as a forensic scientist at this company. I ended up feeling kind of sick when I got there, so I accidentally went into the wrong room." He cleared his throat a bit. "And there was this guy... he was shooting up at his desk. I don't know what kind of drug, but he was super pissed when he saw me there. Maybe it was steroids, or something... but he grabbed me by the throat and asked who sent me. I figured he must be a drug lord or something..."

"He tried to kill you?" Bruce's expression was becoming darker.

"No, no... well, he might have, but I told him that I was just lost. So he said that he wanted to keep an eye on me and offered me to be his assistant." Wally felt stupid saying this. Like he was some helpless person that was being interrogated by the police. "I uh, I accepted it. He seemed super suspicious, so I figured that I could do some spy work and see what's really going on there..."

"What was this company's name? What do they do?" Bruce leaned in closer, curious, as all great detectives are.

"Uh... it was called.. Xem.. no, Xel.. Yeah. XelTech. I don't really know what they do... I never thought to ask.." He grinned, feeling even more foolish.

"XelTech. Owned by the Xel family. Probably the most powerful family in this Gotham, according to what I've dug up recently. They're a huge manufacturer of smart mp3 players."

"Oh, you mean the cool ones with the touch screens and Angry Birds?" Wally made a flicking gesture.

"Exactly. They also have their own record label. A few of their artists are on Gotham's Top Ten Hits List. I was going to do more research..." He paused, before averting his gaze elsewhere. Wally touched Bruce's arm.

"Bats? Hey, you okay?" He wondered if the stress was getting to him.

"I should be asking you that. You were injured today and I just went off on my own tangent, like it didn't even matter." Wally leaned in closer to examine Bruce's face. He looked so tired. Wally could only guess how many hours of sleep he had gotten in the past week.

"Hey, it's okay." Wally grinned wholeheartedly. "We're the good guys, remember? To help other people we gotta get hurt sometimes."

"It's NOT okay." Bruce snapped. "I don't think you going there is a good idea." Wally glared at him.

"You can't tell me what to do, you know. I'm not your ward. I'm not a Robin. I've been the Flash for quite a while now and I never needed a sidekick or a hand out. Do you expect me to stay here all day and night while you go out and do everything by yourself?" As his voice raised, it cracked a bit.

Bruce said nothing. The silence felt like an eternity to Wally. Something inside of him felt horrible for yelling the way he did. "...Hey, Bats, I didn't mean-" Bruce had already stood.

"...You better not get yourself killed." He walked out of the room before the other could reply. Wally remained there, his heart feeling as though it had sunk into his stomach. After what felt like hours, he finally laid back down and closed his eyes, pulling the covers up over his head to hide him from the room's icy atmosphere.

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**Author's Note:**

I am soooooo sorry that this took so long to update. I had so much going on in my life that I just couldn't find the time to write! I have a pretty set schedule now, so I hope that I will be able to update regularly. Thanks so much to those who have read and reviewed. I really feel motivated to continue whenever I read them. You guys are all so great! :]


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